Nurses urged to vote out unsupportive MPs

Nurses' union leader Dr Peter Carter has called on nurses to use their strength in numbers to vote out MPs who are in favour of NHS cutbacks.

At the Royal College of Nursing's yearly conference, its general secretary and chief executive Dr Carter said the fact that there were 400,000 nurses could be used to bring about political change.

He explained: "We know that there are an average of 1,800 nurses and healthcare assistants in each constituency of the UK. In literally hundreds of parts of the country that's enough people to change a result and kick someone out of office."

"There are more than 400,000 of you. Just imagine the kind of power and influence you could have if you all spoke as one. You are the greatest challenge to the politicians of this country."

Dr Carter said if nurses joined with doctors and other healthcare workers, they could express their views on important issues and protect the NHS from what he called "an attack".

Dr Carter told 1,500 union delegates at the Harrogate International Centre: "We are seeing ...the slow but steady erosion of our NHS and the essential services it provides."

"What we are seeing is what really happens when governments cut, cut and cut some more...the NHS is not being protected, it's under attack."